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Home My WebLink About2024-06-18 Council Mtg MINASHLAND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES June 18, 2024 5:30 p.m. Executive Session Mayor Graham, Councilors Hyatt, Bloom, Kaplan, and Hansen were present. Items discussed were: 1. To review and evaluate the employment -related performance of the chief executive officer of any public body, a public officer, employee or staff member who does not request an open hearing pursuant to ORS 192.660 (2) (i) 6 p.m. Regular Business Meeting* I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Graham called the meeting to order at 6:05 PM a. Land Acknowledgement" Councilor Hyatt read the land acknowledgement. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Graham led the pledge of allegiance. III. ROLL CALL Mayor Graham, Councilors Hyatt, Bloom, Kaplan, and Hansen were present. DuQuenne appeared via zoom. Dahle was absent. N. MAYOR'S/CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT The Ashland City Band is starting concerts in Lithia Park, Thursdays at 7 pm, from June through August. a. Celebrating Juneteenth Proclamation Mayor Graham read the proclamation into the record. b. Pollinator Week Proclamation Mayor Graham read the proclamation into the record. V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Minutes of the June 3, 2024 -Study Session Meeting b. Minutes of June 4, 2024 - Business Meeting Councilor Hansen/ Hyatt m/s to approve the June 3, 2024, Study Session and June 4, 2024, Business Meeting minutes. Roll Call Vote: Councilor Hyatt, Bloom, Kaplan, DuQuenne, and Hansen, YES. Motion passed. \A SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS Vl CITY MANAGER REPORT The Interim City Manager Sabrina Cotta spoke that City Offices are closed on June 19, 2024, for Juneteenth. Bonsai Day is June 22, 2024, at the Ashland Japanese Garden. Cotta added that fire season began June 1, 2024, and encouraged residents to be prepared and know your evacuation zone. More information can be found on the City of Ashland Website. Vl PUBLIC FORUM Sixti Sattorfield/Ashland - spoke about a desire for a ceasefire resolution as a humanitarian issue. Rory Noone/Ashland - expressed support for a ceasefire resolution in Gaza. Expressed concern that Council meetings start with land acknowledgment of the people moved off this land while not supporting a ceasefire. Jessica Johnson/Ashland - Read an anti -war speech written by a former US army ranger. Sitka Moss/Trail - Dismayed about the double hypocrisy with the land acknowledgment and pledge of allegiance. Read the resolution she would like the city to sign. Paul Mozina/Ashland - Concerned that none of the public comments were responded to regarding the telecommunications ordinance. Mozina is concerned that this ordinance is in conflict with federal law. Jamie Powell/Ashland - Spoke in support of a ceasefire and would like the city to declare a stronger stance on the issue. The house recently passed a bill to start a miliary draft. Images posted on social media are normalizing genocide of brown people. Tony Foster/Ashland - Spoke in favor of a ceasefire resolution. The US House of Representatives passed a measure that would automatically enroll men 18-26 with the selective service system. We need a ceasefire resolution while on the brink of world war. Ancient Hatfield/Ashland - via zoom - Spoke of concern about the 255 days and over 37,000 confirmed dead in Gaza. Spoke about statistics concerning the atrocities in Gaza. Spoke of needing a ceasefire resolution now, as this has gone on far too long. DC CONSENT AGENDA a. Liquor License Approval for O'Berons b. Contract Awards for Chemicals Acquisition Councilor Hyatt/DuQuenne m/s to approve the consent agenda as presented. Roll Call Vote: Councilor DuQuenne, Hyatt, Kaplan, Hansen, and Bloom. YES. Motion passed. X PUBLIC HEARING a. Second Reading - ORD 3237 An Ordinance Relating to Amending AMC 2.28 to add the Department of Innovations and Technology (DoIT) Graham open public hearing. No comments. Closed public hearing Bloom/ Kaplan m/s approval of second reading of ordinance #3237, An Ordinance Amending AMC 2.28 to add The Department of Innovation and Technology. Discussion: none Roll Call Vote: Councilor DuQuenne, Hyatt, Kaplan, Hansen, and Bloom YES. Motion passed. b. Second Reading - ORD 3241 An Ordinance for Right of Way Vacation of a Portion of Meadows Drive Scott Fleury took the podium. Graham open public hearing. No comments. Closed public hearing. Kaplan/ Hansen m/s to approve Ordinance Number 3241, an Ordinance relating to the vacation of a portion of Meadows Drive. Discussion: none Roll Call Vote: Councilor DuQuenne, Hyatt, Kaplan, Hansen, and Bloom YES. Motion passed. c. Second Readings on ORD 3238, an ordinance adopting amendments to Chapters 15.04; 15.10; 15.16; 15.20; and 15.36 of Title 15 "Buildings and Construction" and ORD 3239 amending section 2.22.101 "Established Membership of the Building Board of Appeals" of Title 2 "Administration" of the Ashland Municipal Code. Brandon Goldman, Director of Community Development, provided a brief overview of Ordinance 3238 and Ordinance 3239. Graham asked if there were any changes to either ordinance since the first reading and Goldman stated there were not. Graham open public hearing for Ordinance 3238. No comments. Closed public hearing. Hyatt/ Kaplan m/s to approve Second Reading of Ordinance 3238, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTERS 15.04; 15.10; 15.16; 15.20; AND 15.36 OF TITLE 15. Discussion: Hyatt thanked Goldman and his team. DuQuenne spoke that this is an overreach, unnecessary, and she will not support it. Roll Call Vote: Councilor Hyatt, Kaplan, Hansen, and Bloom YES. DuQuenne NO. Motion passed 4-1. Goldman provided a brief overview of ordinance 3239. Goldman added there has been an appeals board for several years, but with Covid it has not been operative. A list of candidates that apply for seats on this board will be presented to the Council if second reading is approved. Graham open public hearing for Ordinance 3239. No comments. Closed public hearing. Hansen/ Bloom m/s to approve Second Reading of ordinance 3239, AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 2.22.101, ESTABLISHED MEMBERSHIP OF THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS, CHAPTER 2.22 Discussion: no discussion Roll Call Vote: Councilor Hyatt, Kaplan, Hansen, and Bloom YES. DuQuenne, NO Motion passed 4-1 ZI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. City Manager Performance Review Graham spoke that the City Council in its executive session reached a consensus regarding Sabrina Cotta's successful performance review. Both parties agreed to modify her contract to provide additional compensation. Bloom/ Hyatt m/s to acknowledge the Council's agreement that Sabrina Cotta has successfully completed her scheduled performance review process and accept modifications to Sabrina's employment agreement to adjust her compensation in alignment with the positive results of a performance review. Discussion: Bloom thanked Cotta for her dedication to the people of Ashland. Receiving a positive review in the face of the many challenges in her role speaks to Cotta's qualifications. Hyatt added her gratitude to Cotta for a job well done in stepping up when the Ashland community needed a City Manager. Cotta not only fulfilled those duties, but others consistent with her prior position, and other director -level needs. Kaplan echoed appreciation for Cotta's hard work. Hansen spoke that it is apparent that the tasks are being completed both in the Deputy and City Manager positions along with taking on new initiatives. DuQuenne spoke of her appreciation for the work Cotta's has done, for her diligence and resilience in her position, but does not support the new contract amending her compensation. Graham spoke of appreciation of a job well done in communicating with both the public and the Council and streamlining that transfer of information. Graham has noticed a shift in focus towards helping staff do their job and receive needed training. Graham spoke she is not a voting member of this body but is pleased with Cotta's performance and fully supports the motion. Roll Call Vote: Councilor Hyatt, Kaplan, Hansen, and Bloom YES. DuQuenne NO. Motion passed 4-1. Graham spoke about the process as referred to by Hansen as clumsy. The Council would not typically need three executive sessions for a review. There is a new policy for these reviews, and the Council needed to go back and ask for additional information. Moving forward, the Council expects this to typically be a two -session process. In the future there will be two opportunities a year, sometime in May and September, for the City Manager to bring concerns to the Council that the staff have, and for Council to communicate any concerns without waiting for an entire cycle. This will allow two opportunities for that feedback to go both directions. XII. NEW BUSINESS a. SERJAC Report and Recommendation This item has been moved to the July meeting, where all committee chairs will come speak to the City Council about their work plans. XII I. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS XIV. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS/REPORTS FROM COUNCIL LIAISONS Kaplan shared the Homeless Services Master Plan Subcommittee has been meeting every two weeks with the final meeting planned for Thursday June 20, 2024, and expects a report to Council soon. Graham shared the Ad -Hoc Committee for 2200 Ashland Street has started to meet and will be incorporating the information from the Homeless Services Master Plan process. There is no meeting the first week of July due to the holiday, so the next meeting is in mid -July as scheduled and noticed on the City of Ashland website. XV. ADJOURNMENT Bloom/ Hyatt m/s to adjourn. All were in favor. The meeting adjourned at 6:47 pm. Respectfully Submitted by: .A k_ d,- A j I AIVL�� ity Recorder lissa Kolodzinski Attest: &2�' /Ctt'� Mayor Tonya Graham